West Virginia

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State Clearinghouse on Missing Children

Reason to contact:

A state clearinghouse is an entity (usually law enforcement) that provides help in cases of parental child abduction. For abductions TO the United States, they can help locate a child. For abductions FROM the United States, they may serve as a resource to left-behind parents in filing missing person reports.

Country-wide resources:Removing, or attempting to remove, a child from the United States or retaining a child outside of the United States with the intent to obstruct parental rights is a Federal crime under the International Parental Kidnapping Crime Act (18 U.S.C. 1204). The Federal Bureau of Investigations (FBI) has jurisdictional authority for investigating Federal crimes. FBI field offices are located throughout the U.S. and should be contacted if you have questions or believe your child has been or will be abducted outside of the United States. To locate the FBI field office closest to you, access this link: http://www.fbi.gov/contact-us/field

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Airports

Reason to contact:

If you know your child is being taken to the airport as part of a possible abduction, contact the airport to request assistance. You should have copies of all custody and legal documents ready to send by email or fax, if needed. You can contact the State Department’s Office of Children’s Issues to assist you as you undertake this process at PreventAbduction@state.gov or by calling 888-407-4747.

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Legal Aid

Reason to contact:

If you are party to an international parental child abduction case in the United States or abroad, a legal aid organization may be able to assist you with your legal representation. Legal aid organizations provide legal assistance for free or for a reduced charge to eligible individuals. Eligibility is generally based on income and resource ceilings as well as restrictions on the types of cases they will take.

For information about legal aid and other legal referral resources, visit

Reason to contact:

The resources below may be a good starting place for determining whether statutes regarding abduction prevention exist in your state. You may want to consult the website for the Attorney General’s Office of your state or with an attorney licensed to practice law in your state. (Please note: the resources below may not be current and may change at any time. They are provided for informational purposes only, and are not intended to consist of legal advice).

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